Walī (Arabic: ولي, plural ʾawliyāʾ أولياء) is an Arabic word primarily meaning "ally", from which other related meanings with Islamic cultural tones derive, such as "friend of God" or "holy man", etc. "Wali" can also mean a "legal guardian", or ruler; someone who has "Wilayah" (authority or guardianship) over somebody else, and in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) is often "an authorized agent of the bride in concluding a marriage contract (Islamic Law)",
Traditionally, girls and women in Saudi Arabia, have been forbidden by law from travelling, obtaining a passport, conducting official business, obtaining employment, concluding a marriage contract, or undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their guardian, who must be an adult Muslim male. However in 2019 these guardian restrictions on adult women in Saudi Arabia were lifted from traveling, undergoing certain medical procedures, obtaining passports, and employment.
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